The Pond in a Capitol Park
by TheWomanWhoCodesAndWrites
Summary: "You're not," he told her, simply, glancing at her. Something locked around her waist, and she squirmed by instinct - before she realised it was his arm, hooked casually around her. "You're my Jo-jo." Johanna, Finnick, and the pond in a Capitol Park. For Emme019.


_For Emme019 on her birthday. Happy birthday Emme!_

**The Pond in a Capitol Park**

"For _brainless _heaven's sake, Odair, where are you taking me?"

"Trust me, my Lady," Finnick responded, throwing her a seductive glance and a wink.

Johanna barfed, right then and there.

"I don't care if you're my friend, Odair," she hissed, glaring back at him as she took the long strides necessary to match his shortened ones. "I'll still rip your throat and feed you to the... stupid, brainless, idiot ducks!"

Finnick lost it right then and roared in laughter, as Johanna stumbled to regain the footing she had lost to the damned pair of ducks. Johanna swore he had planned it all along, walking so fast and distracting her and ramming her right onto a pair of _copulating _ducks.

"I swear to the universe, Odair," she grunted, as she lengthened her strides to match his shortened ones. "Your mind belongs right there in the gutters."

"Coming from Johanna Mason herself!" Finnick bowed theatrically, giving her yet another wink. "What a great honor, Jo-jo."

Well, he was right, but there was no way she would admit that. So, she folded her arms and looked ahead, occasionally glaring at his relaxed, almost serene face. Such a waste of an afternoon off assignments, going off to a park in the middle of nowhere in Capitol. There were Tributes to take care of, sponsors to secure. Haymitch and his pair of supposed-lovebirds from 12 might have stolen the most thunder this year, but there was still hopes for Johanna's own tributes - especially the girl who had scored a nine. Johanna would not wish victory on someone who wasn't ugly enough for Capitol not to care, but there was no way she would concede defeat to Haymitch or any of those other mentors. Not even to Finnick, she now realized as they approached a well-shaded pond and slowed down. Not without a fight.

"How do your kids look this year?" he asked her as he pulled her down to the ground. It was as if he had read her thoughts and spat them out back on her.

"Boy's pretty hopeless, girl's alright," she answered him, giving out pretty much the truth. "Could've gotten the girl sponsors if only I wasn't here _relaxing _with you."

He chuckled at the notion, round yet bitter on the edges.

"Twelve's going to win," he told her, straight-forward and unfiltered. "The girl has it in her."

Johanna had, of course, taken a note of the scowly girl from 12. The fire stunt in the parade, the way her district partner looked at her, and the fact that she had angered the gamemakers enough that they gave her an eleven - Katniss Everdeen was _the _Victor.

"Girl on fire," Johanna repeated the overused nickname, cocking her head at Finnick. "Has she lit your fire too, Odair?"

Finnick flashed Johanna a wistful smile.

"You know better," he tells her, glancing up at the sky. Of course. There was Annie, poor, sweet Annie Cresta back home at District 4. Annie had been there first, and was closer to home, and was nice and _pure _and everything that Johanna wasn't. As soon as she saw Finnick's face as he talked of Annie, Johanna knew she had no hope.

But, still, she found herself hoping - even just a little bit. Especially at times like this, when there was only Finnick and her and nothing else but whatever this thing was between them. What would you call a thing, when you sometimes ended up in each other's bed and hated being away from each other but couldn't call yourselves _together_?

She had been a fool, she knew, lingering around this way. But there was no harm in lingering, for she was immune to pain and there was no one left she cared about. Worst case, she would just destroy herself again. No big deal. She would just rebuild herself, better and stronger when it comes.

"You know I care about you, right?"

He had read straight through her again.

"No, I don't," she glanced at him. "Yes, Odair. Of course I do. Happy?"

He looked away, as if he was ashamed of himself.

She got up and walked to the pond. Around her were fallen tree branches, scattered on the ground. She picked up one and threw it straight into the water, for one and another reason she couldn't understand. She just had to. Seeing the sticks hitting the water and sinking under felt nice. The Games had turned her crazy, yes, but crazy was good.

Behind her, she could feel him sneaking up. She spun around in time, just in time to see the grin on his face as he caught her around the waist and jumped with her.

Straight.

Into.

The.

Pond.

"You heaven-damned Brainless!" she growled, sputtering out water as her head and neck emerged next to his, some seconds later. "I'm not your water-loving District Four girl, Odair!"

"You're not," he told her, simply, glancing at her. Something locked around her waist, and she squirmed by instinct - before she realised it was his arm, hooked casually around her. "You're my Jo-jo."

His hand found its way to her waist, poking her hard that she squealed and swatted his arm.

* * *

Johanna knelt down next to the pond, tracing the water with her fingertips. It greeted her skin like a jolt of electricity, and she found herself inhaling and pulling away, away, far away from the water. She was in a much better place than she had been three years ago. She was no longer _terrorized _by water, only _scared._

_Where are you, you cruel bastard? _she asked herself as she searched around. The park was deserted, much like other parts of The Capitol after the war. This was ghost town. A town for the likes of him.

She knelt there for minutes and minutes, until it dawned on her that he would never come back. He was dead. He had been dead for two years now.

_You're my Jo-jo._

Perhaps it was her imagination. Perhaps, it was in the winds. But she heard it. She heard his exact words.

"Alright, Odair," she found herself saying out loud. "I am."

She stood up and left him then and there, knowing that she could always come back.

* * *

She came and went, throughout the years. Always alone, never with anyone else - not even the new loved ones she gained along the way. Until, one day, her right loved one came along. Dark-haired, tanned, green-eyed, and strong-willed - just like the two of them blended together.

"What is that, Granny Jo?"

Johanna made a mental groan. Had she known that the blessed union of her godson and her daughter would result in this petulant brat of a spawn, it would have been unblessed altogether.

"It is a tree, Br... _Finny,_" she explained, catching herself at the last second. She should probably be careful in front of the four year old. Who knew if the brat would get inspired and turn out _brainless_ for real. "And Jo would do, please and thank you. I don't care what Annie makes you call her, I am _not_ a Granny."

"But trees are tall. And you are my Granny"

"It is a baby tree, _Finny,_" Johanna explained again, this time through gritted teeth. "And it doesn't matter I am your grandmother, you still cannot call me Granny."

Finny folded her arms on her chest, as she took the long strides she needed to match Johanna's _shortened_ ones. Had the little girl's hair been bronze and not dark, she would look exactly like her father when he was her age, right to the pout. _Serves him right, _Johanna guessed with a smirk.

"You are weird," the little girl stated.

"Well, thank you," Johanna responded, tearing her gaze from the girl. They were almost there, she noticed. She could already see the small pond from where they were, a glittering blue surface amidst the greens of the park.

"Why are we going here?" Finny drilled on. "To see the little ducks?"

She pointed ahead of them, at the ducklings walking in single file behind their smug mother.

"Sush," Johanna chided the girl. "No. Who cares about ducks, Finny. We are here to see someone else."

"Who? Who?"

A pair of green eyes, full of life and curiosity, glanced up at her. They weren't the same eyes, Johanna knew. But she guessed they would do. Ignoring the creaks of her pathetic back, she bent down and scooped the girl into her arms.

"Your other namesake, _Josefin_," she said, kissing her granddaughter - her and Finnick's granddaughter - on the nose. "I'm going to show you our old ways now. Ready to get wet?"


End file.
